Beech A36TC accident near Erwin, North Carolina, May 12, 2012
On May 12, 2012 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Beech A36TC, registered N2WZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Erwin, North Carolina (Harnett Regional Jetport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff due to fatigue-fractured exhaust valve springs. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s decision to install exhaust valve springs with an unknown service history in the engine’s No. 4 cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2012 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Erwin, North Carolina · Harnett Regional Jetport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · all A36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N2WZ · no longer on the register · serial EA-174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After what he described as an uneventful engine run-up, the pilot took off from the 5,000-foot-long runway. The pilot stated that when the airplane reached an altitude of about 50 feet, he retracted the landing gear; the engine lost partial power. The airplane yawed to the left and touched down again, impacting a thicket. According to a witness who observed the takeoff, the engine power never decreased until the engine stopped suddenly upon impacting the ground. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve springs had fractured in fatigue. Detailed examination of the springs showed that the fatigue cracking likely originated from one or more of the iron oxide (rust) pits present on the surface of the springs. The springs had been installed in the engine about 1 year before the accident flight. According to the mechanic who installed the springs, he had retrieved them from a similar engine’s cylinder that was removed from another airplane; there was no documentation of the springs’ service history or serviceability.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 6, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,158 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2011; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc. TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: L & M Trucking LLC
The flight
- Departed from: HRJ Erwin NC at 4:45 pm
- Destination: UDG Darlington SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from HRJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.